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2 Chronicles 7:14
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Madison Avenue has always been the vanguard for Christmas commercialism. Over the decades, it has moved the cultural needle on Christmas from a religious holiday to one that is secular. I have watched this trend over the years but I was not prepared for what was presented to the public this holiday season. I probably should have seen it coming but I didn’t. Madison Avenue gave us its ultimate goal in crass Christmas commercialism…egocentric giving.
You heard it right. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, the majority of commercials on television sent out the message loud and clear. The goal for this season is to give yourself the gift you want. It started with a commercial for a luxury model car. Every person in the commercial had given themselves one for Christmas. Just in case the gullible consumer was not picking up on the message, one man’s car had a tag on it that said : To James, From James. This commercial has continued to air on prime time during the month of December.
The second commercial only lasted a few days. Was there an outcry from the public that it was completely over the top? A woman went into a store and as she passed the kitchen appliance section, she hesitated, then she put one item after another in her cart until it was full. She essentially had spent her entire Christmas budget on herself. Was it too ludicrous for the public to believe? I don’t know, but it was pulled after a few days.
I could give you another example but I know you get the drift. The geniuses on Madison Avenue want us to be completely egocentric in our giving. To say their approach to Christmas is crass is an understatement. There’s not much we can do except contact the company who bought the ad and express our displeasure at the sentiment.
I for one will reject these not so subtle messages to become egocentric in my giving and I have one word for Madison Avenue this Christmas…REALLY?
Troubles rarely call a break, Even for holidays’ sake… It’s not right or wrong To admit you;re not strong, Having to pull up a stake. – Thankful for what’s here, Knowing that God is near… Those all alone May choose a good Home, If by Messiah they steer. – Thankful for trouble and gloom More […]
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A week ago, I was changing a bandage on a wound. It was about three weeks old, and the scar tissue had begun to form. I thought, “Well, I need to put some alcohol on this to make sure there are no germs there.” I got my bottle of alcohol out of the cupboard, put it on a cotton ball, and got ready to feel some real pain, as I knew the alcohol would sting. To my surprise, there was no pain. You see, scar tissue does not have any nerve endings when it begins to form. The nerve endings have been cut in the surrounding tissue, and initially, a person feels nothing.
I began to wonder about our soul scars. If someone could see our souls, what would they look like? Would there be wounds that had healed completely and others that were in the process of healing? Would there be wounds that were festering and causing us pain? I think if people could see our souls, they would see all three kinds of wounds.
The most obvious would be the wounds that were still open, still in the healing process. Sometimes life wounds us deeply with the loss of a loved one or some other deeply personal loss. These wounds may take years to heal, and only as our grief is felt or expressed can we truly heal. Tears are a valuable form of therapy for these kinds of wounds as they wash them and keep them clean while they are healing.
The least obvious would be the wounds that have healed, and the scars have become part of our soul’s makeup. If you look closely at them, you will see that the area around them is healthy and whole, and sometimes the scars have healed so well, they are difficult to discern.
A Soul Physician would be very concerned about the wounds that are still festering, where there is infection. We all have those kinds of wounds, whether we realize it or not. They are the wounds that have not been taken care of, and no healing balm has been applied to them. Usually, the infection has been caused by unforgiveness, and a person must purposely set out to do their part in the healing process.
Festering wounds must be acknowledged, and we must be ready to be healed from them. We must be willing to apply the disinfectant of forgiveness to them and let go of all of our unforgiveness and bitterness. Will there be pain when we lance these kinds of wounds? Yes, they may have been festering for years, but as their purulence is released, there will be a peace that takes its place.
Oh, the sweet peace of forgiveness, may it blanket our souls and make us healthy and whole!
“Forgive us our sins, for we forgive everyone who sins against us.” Luke 11:4
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Have you ever been on a train, subway or bus when two soldiers got on? Immediately, you feel safer; you just kind of breathe a sigh of relief. There are a few things you know instinctively when you see them. You know they are warriors, well-trained in the art of war. You know they will not hesitate to protect the people if there is any kind of problem. You also know they will lay their lives down willingly to defend each person from any kind of attack.
They are a good visual for us, making us feel safer. We can see them and even touch them if we are close enough. It’s different from angelic warriors, sent to protect us. We pray and ask God to send His angels to guard us, but we are unable to see them or touch them. Are they just as real as the human soldiers we see? Are they as strong and powerful? Indeed, they are.
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In Scripture, we read example after example where God sent His angels to protect and defend people, cities and nations from attack. These spiritual beings are not the cute cherubs we see portrayed in art. They are warriors, well able to protect those they watch over. We can be confident when we ask God to send His holy angels to help us that He will do just that. You can count on it.
There is an enlightening story in Scripture. The king of Syria sent his army to Dothan to capture the prophet Elisha. When Elisha’s servant got up in the morning, he was afraid when he saw the Syrian army surrounding the city. He asked Elisha what they should do. Elisha answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elisha then prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. AND BEHOLD, THE MOUNTAIN WAS FULL OF HORSES AND CHARIOTS OF FIRE ALL AROUND ELISHA. 2 Kings 6: 16-17
Remember: Just because you cannot see something does not mean it is not real. Have faith. You will be surprised by what God will do for you!
Image by Christine Englehardt. Courtesy of Pixabay.
Historic: The twentieth century was a historic time. After WWI, the geopolitical landscape of the world changed dramatically. For centuries, the Ottoman Empire ruled most of the Middle East. Following their defeat, its empire was then ruled by the British. In 1917, Czarist Russia became engulfed in a civil war that ended when the Communists gained control. Sweeping changes again happened after WWII. The Middle East was parceled up into different countries. Chinese culture was upended after their Revolution when the Communists took power. Africa moved from a continent ruled by colonialism to one whose countries were ruled by self-determination. In the 1940s and 50s, the Soviet Union began to occupy its neighboring countries. This went on for decades until, near the end of the century, it broke up, and those countries were liberated. Just a cursory glance at world history during those one hundred years shows the epic changes that happened on the geopolitical landscape.
Prophetic: From a prophetic standpoint, the single most important event happened in 1948 when Israel became a nation. With its rebirth, the prophetic clock began ticking. Fast forward seventy years, and we see political entities lining up in a way that resembles Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 and 39. Add to that the increase of major earthquakes, the moral breakdown of societies, the epic rise of conflicts between nations and ethnic groups, and you have a scenario for the birth pangs of Matthew 24. One’s vision does not have to be 20/20 to see that we could definitely be living in prophetic times.
Strategic: So what do we do when we believe we are living in historic and prophetic times? How can we make the most of our gifts and talents to make a difference in the world we live in? We must learn to think strategically. We must take stock of what we have and pray about how we can best use those resources for the Kingdom of God. Then we can strategically aim our lives towards that eternal goal.
…is Our God. Blogging Note: My dear friends, it seems no matter how hard I try to return to blogging on a regular basis that it just isn’t possible at the present time. And so, I suspect that I will be posting briefly and periodically (but not as I did previously) until the time that […]
‘The origin of species is exactly what Darwin cannot explain’ David Gelernter, a famed Yale University professor, has publicly renounced his belief in Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, calling it a “beautiful idea” that has been effectively disproven. Gelernter, who is known for predicting the World Wide Web and has developed many complex computing tools […]
Our company left this morning for Utah. It was a pleasure seeing them again, and we so enjoyed visiting with them. Before they came, the husband asked if they could bring their dog to our home. He said she was well-behaved and they had spent thousands of hours training her. So jokingly, I said, ” So you’re saying she is better behaved than we are!” He replied with a laugh, “Yes, I guess I am.”
True to form, Moxie was everything they said and more. She was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen. She was polar white and had dark eyes and a dark nose. It was absolutely striking in its beauty and demeanor. I had never had a dog in my home that was so beautiful and well-trained. We later learned she had been a search and rescue dog and had been trained in multiple areas to find missing persons. They had indeed spent thousands of hours training her.
She was an older dog, but was still beautiful. Lying in bed the first night of their visit, I said to my husband, “That dog is SO beautiful!” To which he replied, “It’s the spirit of the dog you see.” I thought about his remark for a while. He was right; the sweetness of the dog was coming through in my every interaction with her.
That got me thinking. As I age, I want to have an inner beauty about me. When people look at me, I want them to see a beautiful spirit inside of me shining through. How can I achieve that?
Well, for sure, I know a few ways that will help make me into the beautiful person I want to be. One is by spending time with the Lord in His Word. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim. 3: 15-17. If I do this, I will be well-trained and able to handle the situations I encounter in a godly manner.
The second way is by yielding my life to the Holy Spirit and letting Him develop His fruit in my life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Gal. 5: 22-23. A person with that kind of spirit will be truly beautiful and a delight to be around.
Yes, beautiful and well trained…that’s what I want to be!
Valerie Cullers 